


a good man

by boneslen



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Closure, Gen, High Honor Arthur Morgan, M/M, Nostalgia, This Is Sad, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23959183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boneslen/pseuds/boneslen
Summary: In his last moments, Arthur remembers just who he's dying for. And Micah shows Arthur a rare, small act of kindness from the depths of his dark heart.
Relationships: Arthur Morgan & Dutch van der Linde, John Marston/Arthur Morgan, Micah Bell & Arthur Morgan
Comments: 9
Kudos: 76





	a good man

**Author's Note:**

> Finally finished the game last week...currently channeling my grief into writing.

Arthur lay there, feeling every bone and every nerve in his tired, beaten body ache. He had nothing left to give, and no one to give to. He was going to die. 

But that was okay. 

He heard the soft, jagged steps of Dutch as he left. As he left Arthur. It was inevitable. If Arthur hadn't tried so hard to fight it, perhaps it wouldn't have hurt so much in the end. Ever since the death of Hosea, there was no one left that could reign Dutch in. But Arthur tried. He _really_ did try. 

Dutch just wouldn't listen. Not anymore.

The man he looked up to more than anyone in the world, the man he loved without fear, without hesitation, had left. But in all honesty, that man had left a long time ago. Arthur wasn't sure where he went, but he sure hoped Dutch would find him again. 

The sound of Dutch's receding footsteps were then overwhelmed by the jarring noises that Micah's feet made as they hit the ground, approaching Arthur.

 _Oh, Micah._ Arthur hated that fool. He loathed how he tore apart the only family Arthur had ever known. He ripped them from seam to seam, all from the inside like a vengeful parasite that had its heart set on making the rest of the world feel the pain he felt. Arthur wasn't sure what pain Micah had experienced to make him _so_ hateful. Or if it even was pain that caused Micah to be the villain of Arthur's life. Perhaps it was just an innate desire deep within Micah that urged him to destroy those he considered weak. Those he considered beneath him.

That's how it was now, with Arthur lying there on the cold ground beneath Micah. He stared up at the fool that had ruined his life. The fool stared back, empty.

Micah still held a pistol in his hand. It wasn't even trained at Arthur. It was limp at Micah's side. Limp and void of anger and revenge. Just like Arthur.

"You get what you wanted?" Arthur barely managed to force the raspy words out, his chest tightening and collapsing in on itself all at once. 

The tired eyes of Micah told Arthur everything he needed to know.

"Did you?"

Arthur hadn't expected the question. He hadn't even expected to be alive long enough to even think about answering a question like that. And while Arthur felt the life seeping out of him, he felt peace from Micah's question. Because he did.

His mind traveled to John, how he was running to his own family, probably desperate, exhausted, and afraid. But he would be safe. 

He would live, and Arthur would die. And Arthur wouldn't have it any other way. 

Sure, Dutch left. Hosea had died, along with Lenny, Sean, Miss Grimshaw, Kieran, and countless others. Even Mary had refused to try again with Arthur. And Micah was standing over him, ready to end it. 

But John was safe. So were Abigail, Jack, Charles, and Sadie. They would all live to see another day, another sunrise. The ones that were left, the ones who Arthur loved, well, they would be just fine. So yes, Micah, Arthur got what he wanted.

"Yeah," Arthur replied, his eyes glazing over with hot tears. His heart hurt most, more than any other part of his body. But it was a different type of hurt. It was a yearning. "I did. You can't say the same, Micah."

Micah lifted the gun, but Arthur wasn't afraid. He stared at the barrel of the gun, wondering how it would feel. How would it feel to die? Perhaps, he would finally be reunited with Hosea and Lenny. Sean too, of course, the wild Irishman whose death had broken off another piece of Arthur's heart. He would see Eliza too, and perhaps she'd forgive him. 

And little Isaac. The thought of Arthur's late son brought more tears to his eyes. He eyed Micah, tired and sad. 

"Do it, then."

But Arthur knew he wouldn't. The fight had left Micah the second Dutch had walked away. The only man Micah respected, and perhaps the only man Micah loved, left them both. In that way, and that way alone, Arthur and Micah were the same. 

Micah lowered the gun slightly. That way, they could both see each other's eyes. Both worn, grieving, and pained. "Not afraid of death, Morgan?"

"Not anymore."

"I could kill John. His family." There was no venom in Micah's tone. Just strained desperation.

Arthur thought back to when he first met John Marston. The young, timid brat who developed into perhaps the most courageous and beautiful person that Arthur had ever met. How Arthur would never get to watch the sun set on John's scarred, earnest face as they sat together in silence. He would never again feel his chest squeeze and his stomach twirl when he caught John looking at him, or felt him touch him, or even just talk to him.

And at that moment, Arthur knew why his heart hurt so much.

"They're long gone by now, Micah."

Finally, Micah holstered the pistol as his gaze fell to the ground. There was nothing more he could say to hurt Arthur. Nothing more.

Out of honest curiosity, Arthur wondered if the man had ever been loved. He wondered a lot of things about Micah. But most of all, he wondered why.

"Why did you do it?" Arthur's voice was strained and weak, weaker than it had ever sounded. His body was failing him, but it was alright. "Why?"

For once, in all the months that Arthur had known Micah, the man remained silent. 

Perhaps he didn't know. Sometimes people never knew why they acted as they did. They just did. And perhaps one of those people was Micah, even though it further pained Arthur to not have a reason. 

But once again, it was alright.

Arthur had nothing more to say or ask him. "Go."

"What?"

The sun was beginning to rise, and Arthur was beginning to die.

"Leave, Micah. Let a bad man finally die alone."

But there was no sound of footsteps. Just more silence. As Arthur forced himself to look over, he saw Micah staring at him. Now Micah had looked at him before, but always with resentment, or superiority, or even raw hatred.

This time, it was just pity. Sadness. And in that way, he looked like an entirely different man. A man beaten down with the struggles and pain of a hard life. A man that had suffered through destruction and survived, but lost his humanity in the process. 

Then, in a small but honest voice, Micah said one final thing to Arthur.

"You are a good man, Arthur Morgan."

And then he was gone, and Arthur was alone. Alone to die, but comforted by the last words ever said to him. As he crawled over to a piece of land facing the rising sun, he felt his breath slowing. 

He turned his head to the golden sun, just as his vision began to simultaneously fade to black. But as he inhaled his last few breaths, he realized he wasn't dying alone. The presence of all the family and friends he had gained along the way surrounded him and his final thoughts, bringing him peace. Some had died for him, and now he was dying for the rest of them.

In his life, there were a lot of people that Arthur had hurt and killed. But there were also those that Arthur had fought for. And he had done all he could to protect them and to keep them safe. John and his family, Charles, Sadie, that kind photographer, Albert Mason, the widow, Charlotte Balfour, in addition to Edith and Archie Downes, and the few other lives that Arthur had an impact in. They would be okay, even if Arthur was leaving.

So as Arthur began to fade, and as he felt the presence of his loved ones among the comforting shine of the rising sun, he realized maybe Micah was right. 

Maybe he was a good man. 

**Author's Note:**

> Arthur is such a good man. One of best men I've had the pleasure of meeting/playing. I can't believe how great of an impact he's had on me, in addition to the rest of the community. And while I loathe Micah and what he did, I decided to try and humanize him. Give him a little bit of his own redemption.


End file.
